Portmanteau Words: What do Hangry and Frenemy Have in Common?

Both words are examples of a portmanteau, a word formed by combining two others. For example, instead of buying a conventional jacket, you might opt for a shaket. It’s a jacket in the style of a shirt.

Portmanteau Words

Frenemy. So, what is a frenemy? We’ve combined friend and enemy. The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as a person who pretends to be your friend but is in fact an enemy. Think back to middle or high school. Those years are sometimes plagued by a few frenemies.

Hangry. This is a great portmanteau that perfectly describes feeling angry because you’re hungry and need nourishment. Brunch, maybe? In fact, waiting to eat brunch (a mix of breakfast and lunch) might make you feel hangry due to a missed meal and a drop in blood sugar.

Cruffin. One of our SpeakAnglo writers recently had the dubious pleasure of trying a savoury cruffin at a well-known eatery in Cape Town. It contained egg and bacon, which are delicious, but the texture was a bit rubbery. While we’re sure some cruffins are scrumptious, savoury ones aren’t to our liking. Anyway, we digress. What is a cruffin? It’s a hybrid between a muffin and a croissant.

A sweet cruffin with jam and cream might work better than the savoury one mentioned above.

Staycation. This is a cross between a vacation and staying at home (or nearby) instead of traveling. It originated in the US and is also used in Canada, where “vacation” is the common term. In the UK, South Africa, and Australia, “holiday” is used more often.

We favour using either term, so you might enjoy our earlier article on why staycations are becoming more popular for holidaymakers. Check it out here.

Glamping. A glamping holiday can be quite fun and comes with more amenities than traditional camping. Think of a working bathroom and a permanent tent structure, rather than a tent you pitch for regular camping. A proper glamping setup shouldn’t blow over in a gale or leak during a torrential rainstorm.

So, glamping is a blend of glamour and camping. It’s a kind of luxury camping trip. Examples include safari-style holidays in countries like Botswana, Kenya, and Namibia.

Guesstimate. A cross between guess and estimate. For instance, you might hear it used in a business meeting: 'We guesstimate that year-end sales will increase by 15% this December.'

Here’s some fun homework. Why not look up these quirky portmanteaus? Adorkable, cronut, liger, and spork.

Portmanteaus are dynamic and new ones are invented regularly. You can even come up with one of your own.

Book English Lessons

Vocabulary

Dubious

(adjective)

Meaning: When something is doubtful or questionable.

Example: There were some dubious things said at the recent conference.

Cosmopolitan

(adjective)

Meaning: People from many different countries living in a city.

Example: New York is a modern and cosmopolitan city.

Plagued

(verb)

Meaning: Something that causes trouble or distress continuously.

Example: The project was plagued by a continued lack of funding.

Amenities

(noun)

Meaning: Useful and desirable facilities, such as a bathroom, Wi-Fi or heating.

Example: That hotel has great amenities, including an indoor pool and a concierge service.

Dynamic

(adjective)

Meaning: Characterised by constant change or progress.

Example: Online markets have remained dynamic for years.